Title: Capturing the Awe: The Solar Eclipse that Astounded America a Century Ago
A century ago, a total solar eclipse graced the northeastern United States, casting darkness upon cities like Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls, NY, and Hamilton, Canada, on January 24, 1925. This celestial spectacle echoed an almost identical event that occurred in Buffalo 99 years prior, on April 8, 1926.
The duration of totality in the Atlantic Ocean reached a peak of 2 minutes and 32 seconds. However, mainland U.S. residents didn't get to enjoy prolonged darkness; the eclipse was visible from states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, with shorter durations.
Buffalo, as the juncture of these two eclipses, witnessed 1 minute and 47 seconds of totality. Its neighbor, Rochester, was plunged into darkness for a mere 65 seconds. Historian Christine Norski shared that Rochester's Pont De Rennes bridge (known as Platt Street bridge back then) was crowded with onlookers, while scientists from Kodak, the University of Rochester, and other institutions prepared observation sites for the eclipse. Interestingly, just as it did during the 2024 eclipse, clouds obscured the sky just before totality occurred.
Geneva, NY, which had a similar fate in 2024, also was in the path of the 1925 eclipse. Regrettably, clouds marred the event twice for this city. The HWS Archives portrayed the day leading up to the eclipse as mostly clear, but the skies clouded over fifteen minutes before totality, extinguishing any chance for successful measurements.
While Geneva's view was hindered, Ithaca, NY, and New Haven, CT, were blessed with a clear view of the extraordinary solar event. American artist Howard Russell Butler, stationed at the Arrigoni Hotel in Middletown, CT, was moved by the sight. He recorded the corona's brightness and sky colors meticulously, using his findings to create an awe-inspiring oil painting still preserved at Princeton University. Butler recounted witnessing about 19 small explosions, known as prominences, on the sun's limb during totality.
A resident of Litchfield, CT, Richard S. Chisolm, exclaimed "Then suddenly the dusk of a clear Autumn sundown..." as he observed the eclipse. The event lasted for a minute and 49 seconds in Litchfield.
In New York City, millions marveled at the total solar eclipse on a crisp and chilly day. The USS Los Angeles, a U.S. Navy airship, carried scientists and telescopes to observe the event from the skies. This collaboration between astronomy and aviation marked an unprecedented undertaking, albeit with less-than-ideal image quality given the vessel's constant pitching and rolling.
New York City will once again be at the heart of a total solar eclipse, with a duration of 2 minutes and 7 seconds starting just after sunrise on May 1, 2079. Numerous East Coast locales, including Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, will get to bear witness to this cosmic treat.
The total solar eclipse of 1925 also passed over New York City, offering residents a rare and awe-inspiring sight. Despite the city's bustling atmosphere, millions gathered to witness the darkness that enveloped the city for a minute and 49 seconds.
Intriguingly, another total solar eclipse is scheduled to grace New York City on May 1, 2079. This event will last for a slightly longer duration of 2 minutes and 7 seconds, attracting eager astronomers and spectators from across the East Coast.
Unfortunately, Buffalo missed out on the 1926 eclipse that mirrored the 1925 event due to its occurrence in a different hemisphere. However, the city will have another opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse, as it falls within the path of the 2079 eclipse.
Historians often point to the 1925 eclipse as a significant event that brought curiosity and unity among cities like Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, sparking shared interest in astronomy and cosmic phenomena. Similarly, the 2079 eclipse is expected to ignite a new wave of fascination and communal spirit along the East Coast.
